Supernatural: 10 Hidden Details You Missed About Sam & Castiel's Relationship
Supernatural has joined the ranks of the Simpsons, Law and Order, and Grey's Anatomy as one of the longest-running scripted TV series. The story of two brothers (Sam and Dean Winchester), an angel (Castiel), and the found family they've acquired while protecting the world from monsters have captured the hearts of viewers for over a decade.
All viewers are aware of the strong bond between the angel Castiel and Dean Winchester. However, the bond that Castiel and Sam Winchester share is often overlooked. One of these is their shared love of humanity, but there is quite a bit more. Here are ten details you missed about Sam and Castiel's relationship.
10 Sam Is The First To Acknowledge Castiel
By the show's fourth season, Sam and Dean have been exposed to many aspects of the supernatural....and they were about to see even more! The introduction of angels added a religious undertone to the show. It also brought a lot of incredulity, particularly on Dean's part.
Sam, on the other hand, has always had an innate spirituality and, upon meeting Castiel, he immediately believed. Their first meeting was a bit of a fanboy moment!
9 Castiel Breaks Sam...
Castiel and Sam's relationship has not always been the most positive. During the sixth season of the show, Castiel is warring with his brother Raphael for control of Heaven. Sam still has memories of his time spent with Lucifer. However, Death had inserted a barrier in Sam's mind to protect him.
To distract Dean from interfering in his plans to open Purgatory, Castiel breaks the barrier in Sam's mind, leaving him to deal with the traumatic and horrific memories of Purgatory.
8 And Then Heals Him!
But Castiel has never been one to shy away from righting his wrongs! After Sam's barrier is broken, he is fully exposed to Lucifer's tormenting and his health begins to severely deteriorate, to the point that he is institutionalized.
Castiel, upon realizing that he cannot fix Sam, decides to atone for his sins by taking on Sam's pain and insanity. Castiel goes on to spend time in the institution and becomes the patient of the rogue demon, Meg. Surprisingly enough, Castiel does not regret his decision in the least bit!
7 Sam Has Always Believed In Castiel
Despite the conflict in their relationship, Sam has always believed in Castiel. At the beginning of the seventh season, Castiel becomes so powerful that he is God. After Castiel threatens to kill them unless they bow down to him, Sam still tries to convince Dean to help him save Castiel, saying that "He's in there somewhere, Dean. I know it".
It is incredible that, despite all of the trauma that Castiel has forced him to endure, Sam still believes that the angel's intentions are good!
6 Sam Has Been The Peacekeeper Between Castiel And Dean
Since Dean and Castiel's relationship is the most turbulent, Sam is frequently the peacekeeper between the two. During the show's eighth season, Castiel disappears with the Angel Tablet. When he is reunited with them, Dean angrily admonishes him for not trusting him. Sam reassures Castiel, however, telling him that Dean just needed time to process.
In the fourteenth season, after the death of Mary Winchester, Sam stops Castiel from comforting Dean. This is mainly to protect Castiel from any harmful reactions from Dean (See Charlie's death in season 10).
5 Castiel Has Healed Sam On Multiple Occasions
Castiel (as well as other angels) has the power to heal others, and he has imparted that power on Sam on multiple occasions. For example, in Season 9, the angel Gadreel possesses Sam to keep him alive after the brothers fail to close the gates of Hell.
After helping to expel Gadreel, Castiel dutifully remains by Sam's side and helps him to heal from all that he has been through. During this experience, Castiel also helps heal Sam emotionally by validating his humanity and understanding that achieving one's goals at all costs just isn't worth it.
4 Sam Is Reminded How Powerful Castiel Is
Despite Castiel losing his Angel Grace throughout the seasons, Sam is constantly reminded of just how powerful Castiel is. In the fourteenth season, when it is made clear that the prophet Donatello has lost his mind and is keeping the spell they need that will help them locate Mary and Jack, Castiel stoically strips it from his mind, leaving the man brain dead. Understandably, Sam is left shaken.
Even during the sixth season, when he was soulless, Sam understands Castiel's power. When he threatens the angel for not helping him, Castiel simply challenges him, even calling him "boy". That's the energy of a being who knows that he is invincible!
3 Sam and Cas Work Well Together (Dean Mark of Cain/Gabriel)
An Angel and a human will inevitably struggle when working together, even one as humanized as Castiel. But Castiel and Sam often demonstrate just how well they work together. Throughout the tenth season, Dean deal with the Mark of Cain and many bouts of uncontrollable violence. Behind Dean's back, Sam and Dean work tirelessly to find a way to save him from the Curse.
In the fourteenth season, when Gabriel is brought to the bunker, alive and traumatized, Castiel and Sam work to heal him and get him to reveal what he endured. The pair share a love of humanity and a shared goal of carrying out their plans so that the least number of people suffer.
2 The Pair Often Share Guilt
Guilt is a significant theme throughout the series and something that Castiel and Sam are no strangers to. Sam suffers frequently from survivor's guilt. A particular incident that deeply affected Sam was, in season 14, when the Archangel Michael killed all of the Apocalypse World survivors living in their bunker. What made it so significant is that it permanently tainted one of the only places he had ever truly called home.
For Castiel, the guilt he feels is over all of the horrible things he did in pursuit of good. After killing many angels in Heaven throughout the seventh season, he later admits that he avoids Heaven at all costs because he fears that the reality of what he has done will make him end his own life.
1 "Sastiel"!!
Avid show watchers are familiar with the "romantic" pairing of Dean and Castiel, or "Destiel". But another lesser-known pairing is Sam and Castiel, or "Sastiel". Although all pairings within the show are very objective, many "Sastiel" shippers point to the pair's shared protection and forgiveness of the other. They both have forgiven each other for the wrongs committed against the other, including breaking the barrier in Sam's mind.
People also point to how happy Sam is to see Castiel whenever the two spend time apart. While in many cases, Dean reacts in anger towards Castiel's absence, Sam always welcomes him with open arms. But the pairing is, at the end of the day, in the eyes of the (many) beholders!